Estimate the levelized screening cost of desalination water using actual production, energy intensity, electricity price, variable cost, fixed annual cost, reject disposal, and recovery.
The main result is a planning estimate for estimated treatment cost. Review the secondary values to verify that the implied flow, volume, or cost basis matches the intended operating case.
Planning estimate only. Site conditions, feedwater quality, permits, equipment curves, redundancy, and applicable engineering standards may change the final design.
At 500 m³/day, 85% utilization, 0.8 kWh/m³, $0.12/kWh, $0.18/m³ variable cost, $75,000 fixed cost, 85% recovery, and $0.02/reject m³, the estimate is about $0.76/m³.
Only if you enter annualized capital cost. The operating inputs alone represent annual operating expenditure.
Energy intensity is multiplied by annual product-water volume and the entered electricity price.
Enter a residuals or reject disposal volume and rate when the process creates a paid waste stream; otherwise use zero.
Fixed annual costs are spread over actual product volume, so lower utilization generally raises the cost per produced unit.
No. It is a screening estimate. Vendor quotes, local tariffs, labor, chemicals, financing, and site constraints should support a bid.
| Variable | Unit | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Rated product capacity | m³/day | Nameplate product-water output. |
| Annual utilization | % | Expected share of rated output. |
| Energy intensity | kWh/m³ | Electricity per product volume. |
| Electricity price | $/kWh | Blended energy charge. |
| Chemicals and variable O&M | $/m³ | Non-energy variable cost. |
| Fixed annual cost | $/year | Labor, service, and annualized capital. |
| Reject disposal cost | $/feed m³ | Disposal or residual management. |
| Recovery rate | % | Product volume divided by feed volume. |